With over 25 years working with communities undergoing complex social change, Gary MacDonald is at the vanguard of social performance management.

Combining line management experience on billion-dollar mega-projects with multinational director-level experience, Gary brings a proven field-to-boardroom perspective to MFC’s social performance management practice.

Drawing on more than a decade as one of the leading social assessors of extractive and agro-forestry projects, Gary oversees MFC’s assessment practice as it guides investors and managers through the international social performance standards that opens access to funding.

His experience resolving community-project conflict prompted his involvement in groundbreaking UN Global Compact work on conflict and revenue transparency. As a thought leader and public speaker, he constantly pushes the boundaries of the social performance community of practice; his deft touch brings in skeptics and creates space for dialogue. He is one of MFC’s principals and founders.

Trevor Kalinowsky is focused on client and lender relations and developing and managing all aspects of social performance on natural resource projects. Trevor brings a cross-cultural, pragmatic approach to social impact, risk, and opportunity assessment and management informed by experience in 15+ countries and tested in multiple sectors. He works hand in hand with lenders, corporate offices and site teams to study the project context, identify pragmatic solutions, and develop efficient mitigations that comply with lender standards, and build community acceptance.

Trevor’s recent projects include developing social performance standards and guidance for two major mining companies, providing technical leadership for resettlement implementation at an oil and gas project in Uganda, and supporting a client in rural Vietnam to design and implement all aspects of a compliant social management system at a 9 billion USD refinery construction project. Trevor meets regularly with international finance institutions in Europe on behalf of MFC to discuss the latest trends and issues in social performance, including regular participation at OECD ECA and DFI Practitioners Group meetings.

Trevor is a specialist with MFC, where he supports partnership development and client outreach functions from his home in Budapest, Hungary.

Kathy has over 16 years of environmental consulting and banking experience in the application of environmental and social safeguards, impact assessment, and international standards to projects in developing countries.

Having worked at Canada’s Export Credit Agency for seven years, Kathy has extensive experience providing export advice to international financing institutions in order to help manage and monitor environmental and social risks.  Kathy has worked in a variety of sectors including forestry, power, infrastructure, extractive, petrochemical, and transportation.

An international consultant with more than 20 years’ multi-sector experience in social performance, Sylvie specializes in stakeholder engagement and communications. She has worked in North America, Europe and over a dozen African countries. Known for providing support that is strategic yet pragmatic, she often helps on-site teams align programming with international standards and good practice in challenging environments.

Sylvie’s implementation experience spans due diligence assessments and risk analysis to management planning, through to implementation and capacity-building. She has helped teams succeed in mining, nature conservation, agri-business,  forestry, oil & gas, electric power and renewables. As well, she brings deep experience in reputation management, media relations and crisis communications, including in non-profit organizations.

A Canadian citizen and resident, Sylvie is natively bilingual in English and French.

Jennifer Burt Davis is an extractive industry social performance professional with over tens years’ experience in systematic social performance engagement, including stakeholder engagement, livelihood restoration, strategic social investment, resettlement, and social planning and program development. Jennifer has been working with MFC for over five years and during this time has conducted two monitoring visits for lender banks, drafted two environmental and social plans, drafted and guided teams in complex resettlements and oversaw an eight country capacity building workshop for EBRD.

Prior to MFC, Jennifer worked for the Ambatovy nickel cobalt mining and refinery joint venture in Madagascar during the construction phase, transitioned from Construction to Operations and spearheaded the long-term sustainability planning for the 29-year Operations phase.  She is experienced in advising and directing teams carrying out complex resettlements or their components and managed an independent review of a complex resettlement process from its inception, through design and final report.

She has designed grievance mechanisms, implemented IFC-conforming social performance programs as well as assessed stakeholder engagement activities, ecosystem services, strategic social investments and social management systems. She has experience in drafting at least two resettlement action plans, which required collecting data, analyzing data and drafting RAP.

A strong international development background informs Jennifer’s extractive industry work, with 16 years experience in natural resource management, agricultural extension, microcredit, and environmental and adult education. She has competencies in project planning, training, facilitation, and human resources management.  Team building and networking are key strengths. She also has significant experience in monitoring and evaluation, as well as applied research.

Over the last 20 years, Diane has managed and implemented integrated programs focused on health, education, employment and capacity building with affected populations to support their return to sustainable and resilient livelihoods.  Focused on the more-vulnerable, these programs involved extensive interface with internal and external stakeholders to help minimize or manage related risks on the corporate risk register.

Working in French, Spanish and English across the private, humanitarian and development sectors, Diane has led finance, human resources, and administration departments to ensure compliance with international standards, national legislation and standard operating procedures. Her familiarity with work and labour conditions in Africa, SE Asia and the Americas serves her well as a human resources advisor, including on due diligence and start-up work related to IFC Performance Standard 2.

A former risk & insurance professional, her background in contract review and risk transfer on large, international projects underpins much of her work in developing economies, emergency, and hardship contexts.

Jorge is a seasoned security expert with practical experience in implementing the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and helping companies come into compliance with IFC Performance Standard 4 – Security.

He works with MFC and its clients to develop security training programs, undertake security risk assessments, develop security management plans, and provide technical assistance to companies to implement and monitor their security management system. Jorge served a decade in the Honduran army as an infantry officer, Security Detail Officer to the President of Honduras, Special Detail (VIP) First Special Forces Battalion, and as Platoon Leader, XI Infantry Battalion and liaison officer for the U.S. Army Engineer Battalion.

Following his military career, Jorge worked in senior security positions in private businesses and as Director of the Strategic Intelligence Center to the Presidential Palace and Chief Security Advisor to former President of Honduras Mr. Ricardo Maduro. Fluent in English and with Bachelor Degrees both in Business Administration and Military Science, Jorge brings a deep understanding of security issues combined with an understanding of the drivers of business and security issues affecting communities. He is based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

For two decades, Nick has worked with companies, communities, governments and multi-lateral institutions on business, conflict, and human rights in fragile and high-risk areas, as well as on how they can effectively implement the SDGs. He has worked at conceptual, policy and practical levels and has produced extensive written guidance on how companies can navigate complex social challenges, including From Red to Green Flags: the corporate responsibility to respect human rights in high-risk countries and; Conflict-Sensitive Business Practice: Guidance for the Extractive Industry. He has deep experience promoting change through multi-stakeholder forums such as the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and, at a practical level, has worked on social and community issues in countries worldwide.  He was part of the Independent Panel reviewing Cerrejon Coal in Colombia and has developed numerous projects designed to support businesses in addressing social, economic and political challenges.

Nick’s background is in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. He is a former Research Fellow at the Institute for Human Rights and Business.

Riaan uses data collection and analysis to tailor programs to specific community or individual needs, helping build foundations for strong management systems that address project risks and impacts.

For more than 10 years, working hand in hand with local consultants and organization representatives, he has developed and implemented social performance programs in-line with internationally accepted good practice and standards in complex rural environments, particularly in Africa.

Founded on numerous environmental and social impact assessments and resettlement and livelihood planning and implementation projects in Africa and the Middle East, his data-collection experience fuels systematic solutions to complex data collection and management problems. Based in South Africa, Riaan works in Afrikaans and English.

Nilo brings a multisector approach to social performance management at mega-projects in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

For Nilo, community development programs must work hand-in-hand with natural resource management to deliver social acceptance for a company or project and to meet community aspirations.

Terra is a technical writer based in Portugal who has communication and research expertise in the public health, conservation, and international development sectors. Terra works with national and international technical experts to build MFC documents.

As  a former chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of the Philippines and as an advisor to extractive companies across Southeast Asia, Nestor blends theory with practice when tackling challenges at the nexus of company, community and culture.

Vladimir has over 20 years of experience in environmental consulting in the southern Africa region. He has led numerous oil and gas impact assessment studies in Angola and took part in several IFC-based studies. Through these he has been responsible for stakeholder engagement, capacity building as well as public consultation meetings.

Vladimir has provided support to significant projects for the private and public sectors, including in the areas of oil and gas, energy, climate change and urban development, among others. A respected leader in regulatory processes as well as environmental expertise in Angola, he provided consultancy services for UNDP, UNEP, IUCN, SADC, SARDC, SAIEA, OKACOM, ZAMCOM and other international institutions working in southern Africa.

Maurice Bridge specializes in crisis communications, rapid social-assessment reporting and stakeholder-engagement programs. Most recently, he assisted a major mining client in developing and implementing a community-liaison system to enhance the two-way flow of information and understanding between community and client.

This work includes creation of a grievance-management system and management of a staff of local foreign nationals. Maurice is a communications expert with an extensive background in news and news administration, and provides strategic and crisis communications counseling and hands-on support, specializing in extractive clients.

He produces videos for strategic communications and community engagement, and conducts media training. He brings excellent project-management skills and rapid turnarounds to a worldwide practice. He has developed ground-breaking programs for using video to expand the reach of consultation programs and to document them.

Chin is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 18 years’ experience in finance and accounting practices working with multinational companies. As MFC’s Chief Accountant, Chin provides daily financial oversight to the company’s financial records using international accounting standards to facilitate pragmatic decision making for stakeholders and directors.

With a deep knowledge of end-to-end accounting cycles, financial planning and risk analysis, profitability and cash-flow scenarios, subsidiary accounting, intercompany accounting, inventory accounting, period-end close, Chin is MFC’s contact point with external auditors and tax accountants and helps organizations review or develop and implement internal accounting controls and policies. A strong team player, Chin helps create and maintain MFC’s good working relationships with clients worldwide.

Krista is a specialist with deep experience in civil society and conducting human rights impact assessments for natural resource companies. She has developed innovative solutions to address the challenges of operating in conflict-sensitive environments, particularly regarding security and human rights.

Krista has worked with senior management teams and boards to create, support and lead effective programs to meet leading international standards. A former executive director of the DC-based Fund for Peace, Krista is adept at developing relationships and trust across sectors on complex issues, promoting dialogue and cooperation to develop solutions.

She has built successful partnerships between NGOs and the private sector and has experience in high-level negotiations and interactions with government and the private sector on multiple international security and human rights instruments. Krista has performed site assessments, developed training courses, and led implementation workshops on the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) as well as performed and trained on conflict and human rights impact assessments at national, provincial, local and site/community levels.